1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to an enclosure for a computer system and, more particularly, to a side panel pivotably mounted and fixed to a base frame of the enclosure with one thumb screw.
2. The Related Art
A conventional computer enclosure used for enveloping subsystems of a computer such as disk drives, a CD ROM, and a switching power supply comprises a base frame, a hood, and a bezel. The base frame comprising a base panel, a front panel, and a rear panel, generally has a U-shaped structure. The hood is also U-shaped having a top panel and two side panels formed along longitudinal sides of the top panel. The base frame forms rails along sides of the base panel for slidably mounting the hood thereto and fixing to the rear panel by screws. The bezel having mounting legs engages with holes defined in the front panel.
There are some problems with the computer enclosure having the structure described above. Firstly, many screws are required for fixing the hood onto the rear panel which not only increases assembly time and manufacturing costs but also complicates disassembly of the computer system when maintenance is required. Secondly, the hood is not easily slid along the rails of the base panel due to the requirement of precise alignment of the rails with sides of the hood and the extended length of the rails. Thirdly, the large dimension of the U-shaped hood occupies a lot of space which complicates storage and transport thereof. The related prior art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,159,528, 5,164,886, 5,271,152, 5,397,176, 5,438,476, and 5,491,611. Thus, the U-shaped hood and base frame require improvement for more convenient assembly and manufacture.